Judge Rebukes U.S. Soccer; Orders New Settlement Talks in FIFA Dispute

A federal judge has criticized the U.S. Soccer Federation for not making a settlement offer in a lawsuit regarding FIFA's decision to block a country from hosting matches. The judge has rescheduled a settlement conference and ordered good-faith negotiations. The dispute involves promoter Relevent Sports and FIFA's match hosting policies.

A federal judge has criticized the U.S. Soccer Federation for failing to make a settlement offer in a lawsuit related to FIFA's decision to block a country from hosting international league matches. The judge has mandatorily rescheduled a settlement conference and urged both parties to engage in good-faith negotiations.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses, based in Manhattan, announced the shift of the settlement conference date to September 24. The previous conference, slated for Monday, was postponed due to a scheduling conflict involving Jeffrey L. Kessler, the attorney representing the lawsuit's promoter, Relevent Sports.

In a court order issued on Wednesday, Judge Moses instructed both parties to participate in "at least one good-faith settlement discussion" before the new deadline. The dispute centers on a 2019 lawsuit by Relevent Sports against FIFA's policy blocking international league matches hosted by other nations.

(With inputs from agencies.)